What’s cooking?

Review: Cook Plate Savour, published by Cambridge Primary School.

I’m not a cook, my family know that but even I could make something out of this book because the recipes are by and large simple and made for busy families.

Cook Plate Savour

The book itself shows the creativity within the school whānau from photographer Juliette Drysdale’s exquisite illustrations, artwork by Grant Jack and design by Jamie Moore to the person who clearly pulled it all together, project manager Mel Moore.

When the call went out for recipes, they got 130 back from parents and staff. Cooking them was the easy bit, as anyone knows it’s the photo that makes you want to try your hand at it yourself.

Getting the recipes ready for photography.

Juliette Drysdale photographs a recipe

My favourite photos were the Conway family’s Turkish eggs, the Deiners ice cream smoothie, cracker toffee from the Dugmores (oh so decadent!) and teacher Hayley Shaw’s ice cream cake.

There are also plenty of photos featuring Cambridge Primary School children which should make for easy sales: how many children can say they feature in a book?

All of the school judging by the back cover!

Sponsorship from local businesses, most whose children either attend or attended the school, makes this a truly community effort.

A must for people who collect cookbooks and a worthwhile stocking filler for people like me who can’t cook but will.

Some of the finished product before photography.

Team effort, from left: Hayley Shaw, Mel Moore, Juliette Drysdale and Winnie Waterhouse during the photo shoot.

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